USGA announces inaugural U.S. National Junior Team | Golf Today | Golf Channel

Golf Today is joined by U.S. National Junior Team coach Chris Zambri, who breaks down the roster that is composed of 10 girls and eight boys. #GolfChannel #GolfToday #USGA #ChrisZambri
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USGA announces inaugural U.S. National Junior Team | Golf Today | Golf Channel
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>>> WE ARE BACK. THE U.S. NATIONALS JUNIOR TEAM WAS LAUNCHED LAST YEAR. THE ELITE UNITS REPRESENT THE FIRST OF THREE NATIONAL TEAMS. IS FOLLOWED BY A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TEAM FOR 2026. THE INITIAL ROSTER, 18 PLAYER ROSTER REPRESENTS THE COUNTRY’S

ELITE TALENT. THEY WILL EMBARK ON A UNIFIED PATHWAY TO NURTURE THE POTENTIAL OF AMERICA’S TOP PLAYERS AND HERE ARE THOSE EIGHT BOYS ARE PRESENTING JUNIOR TALENT FROM COAST-TO- COAST. HENRY GUAM, MILES RUMBLY, 15 YEARS OLD. >> U.S. NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM

ON THE GIRLS SIDE. 10 PLAYERS RANGING FROM 15-17. YOU MENTIONED COAST-TO-COAST. FLORIDA TO CALIFORNIA UP TO WASHINGTON. REPRESENTING THE MIDWEST AS WELL. >> FORMER PEPPERDINE ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH. LAST FALL, GOT THE NOD TO BECOME THE HEAD COACH

FOR THE U.S. JUNIOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. JOINING US NOW ON GOLF TODAY. >> CHRIS, WELCOME TO THE SHOW. HOW IS IT GOING? >> I’M DOING GREAT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> I SAW THE NAMES OF THESE 18

PLAYERS. WHAT WENT IN THE SELECTION CRITERIA? >> WE STARTED WORKING PRETTY HARD ON IT RIGHT WHEN I STARTED WHICH WAS EARLY NOVEMBER. WE TALKED TO A LOT OF INDUSTRY PARTNERS. WE TALKED TO THE LA GOLF ASSOCIATION.

WE SPOKE WITH CLUB MANUFACTURERS. WE WENT ON SIDE AND WATCHED A BUNCH OF GOALS. AND I ALSO LOOKED AT THE RANKINGS BECAUSE I LIKE THE RANKINGS QUITE A BIT. WE ENDED UP DECIDING ON THIS GROUP.

REALLY FORTUNATE TO GET EVERY SINGLE KID WE ASKED TO COME ON BOARD. AND WE WERE EXCITED FOR THE. SO A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT. WE GOT IT GREAT GROUP. AND IT IS REALLY JUST THE START FOR US.

>> CHRIS, THIS PROGRAM ONLY LAUNCHED LAST YEAR. YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE ROLE SINCE NOVEMBER. WAS THERE ANY KIND OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO DEVELOP JUNIOR TALENT AND MOVE FORWARD? OR ARE YOU JUST STARTING FROM SCRATCH HERE?

>> WE STARTED FROM SCRATCH. THE USGA DECIDED TO TAKE THIS ON PROBABLY A COUPLE YEARS AGO. THE FIRST STEP WAS TO HIRE HEATHER DAILY TO BE IN CHARGE. SHE CAME OVER FROM THE LPGA TOUR. SHE HAS DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB

OF GETTING US BASICALLY STARTED FOR NOTHING TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. WE HAVE A NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM. WE ALSO STARTED A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE PRETTY EXCITING LIKE THE GRANT PROGRAM. WE HAVE KIDS ON GRANTS WHO WILL

BE RECEIVING FUNDING FROM THE USGA AND FROM OUR PARTNER ALLY TO HELP KIDS WHO ARE GOOD AT GOLF BUT DON’T HAVE THE MEANS TO PURSUE IT EXACTLY AND HOW THEY MIGHT NEED TO. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND WE ARE STARTING A PROGRAM.

WE HAVE SEVEN PILOT STATES INVOLVED WITH THAT. IS A GREAT DAY TO HAVE THESE KIDS NAME TO THE ELITE JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM AND WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER REALLY GREAT THINGS GOING TO HELP ON THE PIPELINE OF TALENT FOR THE UNITED STATES

OF AMERICA. >> CHRIS, YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RECRUITING PROCESS AND HOW HIGH LEVEL JUNIOR GOLF HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN RUN DURING YOUR TIME AT UFC AND PEPPERDINE. IF I’M A 16-YEAR-OLD JUNIOR GOLFER, NORMALLY ARE LOOKING TO

PLAY EVENTS AND GET EXPOSURE TO HIGH-LEVEL NATIONAL AMATEUR EVENTS AND TO GET ON THE COLLEGE COACH RADAR. WHAT IS THE PITCH TO BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM AND HOW WILL THAT DIFFERENTIATE FOR THESE JUNIOR GOLFERS? >> SO MANY COUNTRIES IN THE

WORLD HAVE A FEDERATION THAT LOOKS OUT FOR THEIR BEST TALENT. THE UNITED STATES HAS NEVER HAD ONE. AND SO OUR PITCH IS LIKE, COME ON BOARD WITH US. WE WILL DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP YOU

BECOME A GREAT PLAYER. WE WILL BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE GET INVOLVED WITH AS FAR AS HELPING GOES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT GOLF CAN BE A LITTLE MYSTERIOUS AT TIMES. BUT NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY HAVE PLAYERS OF THIS

TALENT HAD A GROUP BEHIND THEM. THEY HAVE PEOPLE LOCALLY BEHIND THEM THAT ARE THERE TO HELP. WE ARE HERE TO HELP. AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP IN MANY WAYS. NOT JUST FIGURING OUT IF THEY CAN HIT THE BALL STRAIGHT OR

PUTT IT. WE WILL HELP THEM WITH NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL TRAINING AND WITH MENTAL SKILL. AND SO MY PITCH IS, WE WANT TO HELP AND ON TOP OF IT, I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, I WANT TO HELP BUT I’M GOING TO BE REALLY CAREFUL

ABOUT WHAT I OPEN MY MOUTH ABOUT. WE KNOW THAT GOLF CAN BE MYSTERIOUS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE. SO WE WILL BE REALLY CAREFUL HOW WE HELP BUT WE ARE REALLY EAGER TO HELP. >> THE PROGRAM HAS SIX PILLARS

WITH ACCESS TO COMPETITION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT. YOU MENTIONED THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS COMING FROM THE USGA. THE OTHER CORE PRINCIPLES OF THIS, WHAT HAS BEEN THE TOUGHEST ONE TO GET RIGHT? >> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.

I DON’T THINK ANYTHING HAS BEEN TOUGH SO FAR. WE ARE JUST STARTING. I HAVE HEARD FOES — HEARD MANY TIMES FROM COWORKERS THAT WE ARE IN MILE ONE OF A MARATHON HERE. BUT IT HAS BEEN GREAT.

IS A LOT TOUGHER TO RECRUIT AT COLLEGE. I EXPERIENCED A HIGHER RATE OF THE WORD NO IN THE COLLEGE THEN I DID IN THIS PROCESS. SO FAR, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GOOD. IT HAS JUST TAKEN A LOT OF

SITTING AROUND IN A LOT OF DISCUSSION TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DO A VARIETY OF THINGS. LIKE YOU SAID, WE HAVE SIX PILLARS. WE ARE PRETTY MULTIFACETED AND WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO HIT A

HOMERUN IN EACH AREA. AND TODAY IS A REAL CELEBRATION OF THE FIRST ELITE JUNIOR TEAM. AND EVENTUALLY THIS GROUP WILL GROW TO 30 ON BOTH SIDES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AND LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, WE WILL HAVE A NATIONAL TEAM FOR HIGH-LEVEL

AMATEURS AND WILL HAVE A HIGH LEVEL, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TEAM AND TRY TO HELP YOUNG PROS. SIMILAR TO WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES DO IN THAT REGARD. >> ALL RIGHT. HEAD COACH OF THE U.S. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. KICKING OFF WITH THIS FIRST

ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY AND BEST OF LUCK GOING